Purcell School of Music

[orangebear4]

Does anyone have any experience of the Purcell school of music in Bushey, Hertfordshire? We are considering applying for dd for 6th form in 2014 and went for a visit on Friday. We absolutely loved it and dd was like a child in a sweet shop! However, she is also very academic and wants to go to uni to study music in the future, rather than attend a conservatoire. We have some concerns about the academic side of things at Purcell, and wondered if anyone had a dc who has come out the other side of the school? Or, indeed, have any other recommendations for a music specialist 6th form?

[pg]

My dd went to Chetham's in Manchester as a boarder for 6th form. She had a tremendous time there. I think the core academic subjects are well covered, though some A level choices may be restricted. Obviously there is no trouble with Music!

www.chethams.com

When dd went we were extremely fortunate: she was able to get a fully funded place and there was even some help towards things like uniform. I don't know your circumstances, but there is quite a lot of extremely useful support for low income families.

Many students go on to various Conservatoires, but others study a variety of subjects (including Music at University, rather than at a Conservatoire). There are usually two or three Oxbridge entrants. There are some details here: http://www.chethams.com/study/life-afte ... stinations

My dd didn't have a particularly happy time at secondary school but once at Chetham's she really felt at home. She also coped very much better with boarding and the rules and regulations than I expected! This was mainly due to the remarkable House Mistress of Girls' House who managed to combine discipline with respect and common sense. She was something of a saint in my opinion!

The school is right in the centre of Manchester and the 6th formers had a reasonable amount of freedom - quite appealing for my teenage girl!

The school certainly worked out well for my dd - perhaps worth investigating?

[orangebear4]

Thank you for your reply. I think Chetham's would be my first choice if we didn't live where we do (Kent). If dd went to Purcell she could come home every weekend, whereas I can't see that happening at Chetham's. We are also considering Wells Cathedral school, but again we wouldn't see much of her. Dd is the last of my 4 children at home, and I suppose that is affecting our decision for both of us. I know that Chetham's would be a safe bet academically, as would Wells, so it's a really difficult decision to make. I do think personally that an able student academically would probably manage A levels wherever they went, but at Purcell the choices are rather limited and she would have to compromise her choices.

[orangebear4]

Btw pg, what did your dd end up doing after Chetham's?

[pg]

She went to RWCMD to do Opera Studies but has ended up working in a completely different (administrative) field!

[mrs.suniil]

Daughter goes to Purcell. She loves every moment there. Academics is not so strong, but huge improvement since the new Head joined this year.

We chose Purcell over Chethams because of weekly boarding and closer to Central London. Yes, there is no uniform too!

[orangebear4]

Yes, we spoke to the new head, who kept coming to find us on our visit. He seemed very nice, and I do feel I could approach him for advice in the future. The trouble is I do have to be certain that the academic side is good enough before we even apply, as dd wants to go to uni afterwards and not a conservatoire. At her current Grammar school she would have a really good choice of A levels or the IB, but the music side isn't that good - she really has gone as far as she can musically there. Also, we would rely on 100% bursary, and he told us one would only be available if someone left who currently receives one! Then there's the question of whether she's good enough.....which instrument to choose as first study......

[mrs.suniil]

Then you may have to think twice, as most of the music lessons are during day time. That includes 3 hours of individual lessons, Choir, Music theory, Composition, Chamber music etc. Also, there is an allocated compulsory practice session during school hours, apart from early morning and evening practice sessions.

as dd wants to go to uni afterwards and not a conservatoire.

When daughter started in year 7, she was approximately in Grade 8 standard in both of her instruments. To study Piano and some string instruments, they will be looking for exceptionally high.

Then there's the question of whether she's good enough.....which instrument to choose as first study......

[orangebear4]

Thanks for your reply. If they offer A levels, surely they should give them enough time to complete them? I know from their website that students from Purcell do go on to study music at good unis. By the time she has to audition dd will be well past grade 8 in both flute and voice, with piano as back up. The head told us that the 3 hours of individual lessons is spread over the week? We are going to visit Wells Cathedral School next week to compare. Dd already attends a junior conservatoire on a Saturday, so is familiar with all the music classes, but of course, it's how they all fit into the academic day that is the problem!

[pg]

DD found it relatively easy to fit the studying in at Chetham's, despite the heavy timetable. When she had been studying at her local day school she found all sorts of ways to procrastinate and avoid studying (until the GCSE mad dash). At Chets she just did her "homework" in the library or her room at the end of the school day before the evening relaxation or rehearsal time. Some music (e.g. sight singing) was first thing, before lessons got started. The fact that she was there, on the premises, was a huge help. There was a lot of music to fit in, of course, but for those who love music I don't think a lot of it really feels like work!

DD's first study was voice (they only allow this at 6th form). She also had to do some piano and for a short time also played sax, though she dropped this as she found studying 3 disciplines too much. She had very basic piano skills and had only done up to around Grade 4 officially for sax (though her playing was probably above that standard).

DD had the option to be a weekly boarder at Chets but she decided that the social life was too good to miss out on! She still occasionally came back after Saturday morning classes or rehearsals, or on a Sunday (and sometimes brought a friend or even a crowd back with her - it was brilliant: free musical entertainment for the weekend!). We were much closer than you of course. Many of the pupils come from very far afield and some went home to host families in the shorter holidays and only went back home during the summer holidays. I guess it depends how you and your dd feel about it, but she certainly wouldn't be on her own if she stayed there at weekends.

Above all, they just seemed to "get" her, if you know what I mean. It was a school full of strong individuals, with an obvious interest in common. For the first time in her school life I think she could just breathe and get on with being herself.

[orangebear4]

Thank you so much pg. I was just beginning to feel quite negative about it all, and you have restored my faith. I don't really think we could consider Chetham's really unfortunately, but I will get on to Purcell with my concerns re academic stuff. Like your dd mine tends to procrastinate over homework, and I feel at a specialist music school they might be more sympathetic if homework wasn't completely finished due to pressure of music. She just seems to spend all her waking life doing homework at the moment (and will probably have 16 GCSE's and AS levels by the end of Yr 11, not that she needs that many!) and we would both love for her to have more time for her first love of music.
Can I ask what standard your dd had to be to be a first study singer, as it may be that my dd decides to do that because it fits in with her ambition to eventually become a choral conductor?

[orangebear4]

Forgot to say, when we visited, the A level classes we saw (apart from Music) only had at most a handful of students. They would obviously, in their study time, have a lot more individual attention that she would get at her current school.

[pg]

They didn't stipulate grades - it just went on audition. I think she had done grade 8, but I'm not absolutely certain. I think that, like drama school auditions, it's all about potential. They have years of experience of assessing a pupil's capabilities.

[mathsmum]

it is a balance between music and academics - we had a brilliant and brilliantly musical y6 two years ago who opted against purcell (to which she could have travelled daily) in favour of henrietta barnet (local girls' selective school). purcell itself says it is a school for those who see their future as performers - it is not for an academic child who is also amazingly musical

i think any child has to decide which of the two aspects are more important to them

(our head, who is a musician, could not help being a tad disappointed )

[orangebear4]

Unfortunately my dd is an academic child who is amazingly musical, BUT who sees her future in music, possibly as a choral conductor, so you can see my dilemma!